H-IIA successfully launches Japanese Weather Satellite into GTO

October 7, 2014

Photo JAXA/MHI Webcast

Japan's H-IIA rocket successfully delivered the Himawari-8 weather satellite to orbit on Tuesday to mark the inauguration of the third generation of Japanese Geostationary Meteorological Satellites. Using a much improved multispectral imaging payload, Himawari-8 will expand Japan's capability of weather forecasting and monitoring of meteorological phenomena.

H-IIA blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center at 5:16 UTC on Tuesday, jumping off its pad to embark on a 28-minute mission to reach a Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The rocket started racing across the Pacific Ocean, separating the two solid-fueled boosters under two minutes after launch and continued firing its large Core Stage as planned.

Assuming control of the flight, H-IIA's second stage executed two burns, the first successfully placing the stack in a low parking orbit and the second raising the apogee to reach Geostationary Orbit. Himawari-8 was released into the planned orbit 28 minutes after launch.

The 3,500-Kilogram satellite will take over from its predecessor launched in 2005 to provide a vast improvement in data and imaging frequency since Himawari-8 will acquire a frame of the full Earth disk every ten minutes and take additional images of the Japanese territory every 2.5 minutes. Imaging in 16 spectral bands will not only allow the generation of composite color images, but also provide data on cloud distribution and properties, atmospheric and surface temperature, turbulence, aerosols, ozone and a number of other relevant factors for weather monitoring and forecasting.

Launch operations at Japan's picturesque launch site got underway just after midnight, local time, as teams completed the final preparatory steps for the rollout of the launch vehicle. Rollout started just after 16:30 UTC on Monday as the 53-meter tall vehicle sitting atop the Mobile Launch Platform emerged from its Assembly Building. Rollout of the H-IIA is a very quick process compared to other launch systems, taking less than half an hour to complete the 500-meter trip to the sea-side launch pad.

Located on the south-eastern tip of Tanegashima Island, south of Kyushu, the space center was affected by Typhoon Phanfone over the weekend, but luckily preparations for the launch were not set back and could continue for an on-time liftoff during a window that was four hours in duration opening at 5:16 UTC, 2:16p.m. local time on Tuesday.

Arriving at Launch Pad 1, H-IIA began its overnight launch countdown that started with connecting the various umbilicals to the Mobile Launch Platform including propellant lines, electrical and data interfaces as well as purge and pressurant lines.

Once all connections were in place, teams began closing out the launch vehicle and all ground systems while the first round of launch vehicle testing was put in motion to ensure all systems were operational and could communicate as planned. Beginning around nine hours ahead of liftoff, teams departed the launch pad as the 400-meter Safety Zone came into effect. Teams also buttoned up the Vehicle Assembly Building up in preparation for liftoff.

About 8.5 hours ahead of the opening of the window, the various systems aboard the H-IIA launcher were powered up to begin detailed testing of all the subsystems. The launch vehicle underwent communications checks via its S-Band and C-Band systems, the Flight Termination System was tested and the Flight Control System was initialized. The flight software was loaded into the computers of the vehicle and the control system was thoroughly checked.

Photo: MHI

Photo: MHI

Engine slews on the first and second stage engines were performed and teams completed the final steps to start propellant loading.

The safety zone was widened to three Kilometers in advance of fueling operations that commenced at around X-7 hours and 30 minutes. The first step of propellant loading was the pressurization and chilldown of the oxidizer and fuel ground systems and transfer lines before the tanks of the two stages of the H-IIA were chilled down as well to prevent a shock to the metal when coming into contact with the cryogenic propellants.

Over the course of a three-hour sequence, H-IIA was loaded with about 117,000 Kilograms of -183°C liquid Oxygen and -252°C liquid Hydrogen. When all tanks were full, propellant loading entered topping as LOX and LH2 were continuously replenished throughout the rest of the countdown.

With both stages filled with cryogenics, the Launch Team headed into another round of testing, running a series of communication checks in S- and C-Band, checking the Flight Control System, verifying functionality of the Flight Termination System and putting ground support equipment through several tests.

Photo: MHI

Phot.o

H-IIA's countdown entered its Terminal Phase at X-60 minutes. Over the final hour of the countdown, the launcher completed final reconfigurations for the Automated Countdown Sequence, receiving its refined flight software that was adjusted based on current conditions in the Upper Atmosphere. The Flight Control System was checked one last time and configured for launch and range controllers verified that the launch corridor was clear.

Inside 30 minutes to launch, Himawari-8 began in transition to battery power and was switched to flight mode to be ready for its ride into orbit. Teams also verified that weather conditions were favorable for liftoff at the opening of the window. Surface winds were relatively high, but all criteria were met, allowing teams to press ahead with the launch.

At X-11 minutes, final polling was completed and all stations reported readiness for launch having a clean vehicle and spacecraft that finished its transfer to internal power.

With the opening of the launch window programmed into all sequencers on the ground and the launch vehicle, clocks started ticking at X-4 minutes and 30 seconds marking the start of the Automated Countdown Sequence. Throughout those final countdown minutes, computers choreographed the events of the countdown and monitored all vehicle parameters ready to trigger an abort in case of problems during the countdown.

The first step of the Auto Sequence was the termination of the propellant feed to the vehicle and the initiation of Propellant Tank Pressurization at X-4:20 - beginning with the first stage. All tanks reached flight pressure and clocks continued to tick down.At X-3 minutes, the H-IIA launcher transferred from ground power supply to internal power while the Flight Termination System was switched to internal battery power as part of a separate procedure.

Propellant loading on the second stage was terminated two and half minutes before launch and the stage began pressurizing its tanks. As clocks ticked down, good pressurization on the first and second stage was confirmed.

One minute before liftoff, thousands of Kilograms of water were being poured over the launch platform to suppress the acoustic loads at booster ignition and liftoff. Ordnances aboard the launcher were armed at X-30 and the Guidance System switched to Flight Mode at X-18 seconds accompanied by the activation of thermal batteries that are used to move the booster's nozzles for vehicle control. At X-11.5 seconds, the sparklers underneath the LE-7A Main Engine of the Core Stage ignited to burn off any residual Hydrogen that may be released during the ignition.

Ignition sequence start was commanded at X-5.2 Seconds and the fuel and oxidizer valves of the main engine were opened and its turbopumps started spinning up to flight speed. Engine ignition was carefully monitored by computers to ensure LE-7A reached its full liftoff thrust of 109,300 Kilogram force.

As clocks hit zero at 5:16:00 UTC, the twin Solid Rocket Boosters were ignited and H-IIA promptly leaped off its pad with a total liftoff thrust of over 600 metric tons, creating a thrust to weight ratio of 2.4 as the boosters delivered 80% of the vehicle's total kick at liftoff.

After only a few seconds of vertical ascent, H-IIA made its pitch and roll maneuver to depart Tanegashima Island on a precisely planned trajectory, taking it to the south-east across the Pacific. Unlike its polar orbit trajectory, H-IIA's way to Geostationary Transfer Orbit was clear of any inhabited islands not requiring any turns in the ascent trajectory.

Racing uphill, H-IIA burned through 1,590 Kilograms of propellants per second, passing Mach 1 a little over a minute into the mission followed by Maximum Dynamic Pressure a short time later as the launcher made its way through the atmosphere.

For Tuesday's launch, a configuration of the SRB-A boosters was used that delivered an increased average thrust but burned shorter than other SRB versions used by the H-II vehicles. Each of the boosters measures 15.1 meters in length and 2.5 meters in diameter consuming 64,900 Kilograms of propellant over the course of their burn to generate more than 281 metric tons of thrust each.

The twin boosters burned out one minute and 38 seconds into the flight, helping propel the vehicle to a velocity of 1.5 Kilometers per second. Detecting the pressure drop inside the boosters when propellant was depleted, H-IIA's Flight Control System was programmed to hold onto the boosters for ten more seconds to create a safe off-shore impact. Separation occurred as planned using a series of pyrotechnics and struts that ensure the two boosters dropped away from the Core Stage in a clean fashion with not inadvertent contact.

With the boosters headed for a splashdown in the Pacific, H-IIA continued onwards, powered by its LE-7A first stage engine alone that consumed 260 Kilograms of LOX and LH2 per second to deliver 109 metric tons of thrust. The Core Stage showed excellent performance throughout its long burn, sticking right to the predicted flight path in the center of the launch corridor.

Photo JAXA/MHI Webcast

Photo JAXA/MHI Webcast

Photo JAXA/MHI Webcast

The protective payload fairing was jettisoned four minutes and five seconds after blastoff, when the vehicle had departed the dense layers of the atmosphere. To shed weight and optimize mission performance, the fairing is jettisoned at the earliest possible time when aerodynamic forces can no longer harm the satellite. Fairing separation occurred just under 145 Kilometers in altitude as pyrotechnics disconnected the fairing halves that rotated outward and separated from the vehicle.

Photo JAXA/MHI Webcast

The first stage continued powering the vehicle until T+6 minutes and 37 seconds when the LE-7A engine shut down after having accelerated the launcher to a speed of 2.3km/s. Eight seconds after staging, pyrotechnics were fired to separate the 37-meter long first stage that was then pushed away from the second stage to set up for engine start. Staging took place at an altitude of just over 220 Kilometers.

Six seconds after staging, the second stage ignited its LE-5B engine on its first of two burns in a more complex mission design than the recent H-II launches that targeted Low-Earth Orbits which could be reached with a single upper stage burn.

The second stage of the H-IIA is 9.2 meters long with a diameter of 4 meters. It also uses LOX and LH2 propellants, being filled with 16,600kg of cryogenics for consumption by the single LE-5B engine that delivers 13,970 Kilogram-force of thrust and provides re-ignition capability.

Now flying under control of the second stage, H-IIA continued to perform as planned tasked with boosting the vehicle's velocity from 5.3 to 7.7km/s to enter a Low Earth Parking Orbit around 260 Kilometers in altitude.

The second stage burned for just over five minutes and 20 seconds, achieving the planned Parking Orbit. Shutdown of the LE-5B marked the beginning of a Coast Phase that was 11.5 minutes in duration, inserted into the mission to allow the second burn of the second stage to position the apogee of the Geostationary Transfer Orbit closer to the equator.

While the vehicle was coasting, the second stage conducted attitude maneuvers using its attitude control thrusters to maintain a stable orientation in preparation for the second burn of the upper stage.

Just before hitting the 24-minute mark in the flight, the second stage re-ignited to raise the apogee of the orbit to Geostationary Altitude and slightly decrease the orbital inclination. Himawari-8 was targeting an insertion orbit of 250 by 35,976 Kilometers inclined 22.4 degrees.

After burning for three minutes and 17 seconds, the second stage shut down its engine, achieving an on-target insertion. Immediately after shutdown, the vehicle started re-orienting for spacecraft separation.

Himawari-8 was released just before T+25 minutes, being sent into its planned orbit after a seemingly flawless flight of the H-IIA launch vehicle. Following separation, Himawari-8 began a series of operations to acquire a stable three-axis orientation and initiate communications with ground stations. Over a period of days, the satellite will complete initial checkouts and start raising its perigee to eventually reach a Geostationary Orbit at 140 degrees East covering the Japanese Territory and the Asia-Pacific region.

Image: JMA

Japan's H-IIA set to Launch Meteorological Satellite on Tuesday

October 6, 2014

A Japanese H-IIA launch vehicle is set for liftoff from the Tanegashima Space Center on Tuesday during a four-hour window opening at 5:16 UTC to deliver the Himawari-8 meteorological satellite to Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Despite large portions of Japan being hit by Typhoon Phanfone, the Japanese Meteorological Agency, JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy are proceeding with preparations for liftoff as planned. Himawari-8 is the first of two third-generation Geostationary Meteorological satellites to provide operational weather data through 2031. Based on the DS-2000 satellite bus manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric, each of the identical 3,500-Kilogram satellites carries a single instrument, the Advanced Himawari Imager. The AHI instrument operates at 16 spectral channels from visible radiation to the thermal infrared range of the spectrum. AHI will deliver visible imagery with a resolution up to 500 meters for composite imaging, cloud, vegetation and environmental monitoring. The infrared channels are used to deliver relevant data for the observation of cloud distribution and properties, atmospheric water, aerosols, rainfall, temperature and a number of other properties. Measurements of the Japanese territory will be made every 2.5 minutes and downlinked and processed in near-real time to provide data for weather-nowcasting and numerical forecasting. Himawari-8 also carries a platform to relay low data rate packets sent by remote weather stations and sea-state platforms within the satellite's field of view. Additionally, the satellite is outfitted with a radiation detector to provide data on space radiation in Geostationary Orbit. >>>Technical Overview of Himawari-8 The components of the H-IIA launch vehicle were delivered to the Tanegashima Space Center in early August by manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Afterwards, the integration of the launcher started at Japan's prime launch site, located on the southern tip of Tanegashima Island south of Kyushu, providing a beautiful sea-side view from the Yoshinobu launch complex that includes the two pads for the H-IIA and the H-IIB rockets.

*File Image* - Photo: JAXA

Image: JMA

The process of assembling of the launcher began with the installation of the first stage on the Mobile Launch Platform before the two solid-fueled boosters were installed on opposite sides of the Core Stage. Next, the second stage was installed atop the stack to mark the start of detailed checkouts of the integrated vehicle.

Photo: MHI

Photo: MHI

Photo: MHI

H-IIA has a liftoff weight of 285,000 Kilograms standing 53 meters tall with a core diameter of 4 meters using a two-stage stack with two Solid Rocket Boosters attached to the first stage. The rocket is capable of delivering payloads of up to 11,000 Kilograms to Low Earth Orbit. The first stage of the H-IIA is 37.2 meters long and capable of holding about 100,000 Kilograms of cryogenic propellants, Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen for consumption by the single LE-7A main engine. LE-7A is a staged combustion cycle engine delivering 1,087 Kilonewtons of thrust. Attached to the first stage are two SRB-A3 Solid Rocket Boosters - each 15.1 meters long and 2.5 meters in diameter weighing 75.5 metric tons. Each of the boosters burns 64,900kg of propellants during a 98-second burn. SRB-A3 delivers 2,501.5kN of thrust. Booster separation is triggered by pyrotechnics and the SRBs use struts to ensure a clean separation.The second stage of the H-IIA 202 is 9.2 meters long with a diameter of 4 meters. It also uses LOX and LH2 propellants, being filled with 16,600kg of cryogenics. One LE-5B engine powers the second stage providing a vacuum thrust of 137kN. The engine can make multiple ignitions to target a variety of orbits.

The Himawari-8 satellite was delivered to Tanegashima on August 25 to begin its final pre-launch flow at the launch site. The satellite went through detailed functional checks and inspections to ensure it was operating as planned after its transfer to the launch site. Later, the satellite received 2,200 Kilograms of storable propellant to be used to raise and maintain its orbit throughout its 15-year mission.

With fueling complete and the satellite installed on its payload adapter, teams installed the payload fairing by lowering the assembled fairing onto the spacecraft and payload adapter. Subsequently, electrical and data connections were put in place before the fairing was bolted in position. Final checks took place to make sure good connectivity between the payload adapter and the spacecraft & fairing was given and that the fairing air conditioning system was working.

Later, the stack was handed over to launch vehicle operator Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for installation atop the H-IIA rocket. The installation was completed as planned and integrated testing commenced to verify that all data paths between the flight control system and the various subsystems and controllers were in place and that commands could be executed properly.

Leading up to launch, the combined JAXA and MHI teams performed several countdown and launch rehearsals over the course of the week also involving the assembled H-IIA launcher that was put through its paces to verify that all control systems of the rocket were functioning and issuing the correct commands at the appropriate times.

H-IIA was declared ready for liftoff on Tuesday during a four-hour window that opens at 5:16 UTC, 2:16p.m. local time.

The Launch Countdown operation for H-IIA begins about 14 hours before launch with the rollout of the launcher from its final assembly building. The trip from its assembly building to the sea-side launch pad takes about 30 minutes.

After arriving at the Pad, technicians connect data and electrical lines and put propellant umbilicals in place before completing final fueling preparations and close-outs. About eight hours before launch, teams evacuate the launch pad to get ready for the long propellant loading sequence.

Beginning at about X-7 Hours and 45 Minutes, the complex propellant loading sequence gets underway with the pressurization and chilldown of ground support systems handling the -183-degree Celsius LOX and -253°C LH2. Fueling goes through a number of steps including ground support system chilldown, propellant tank chilldown and propellant loading, before tanking enters replenish mode. The propellant loading sequence takes approximately three hours until the 116,600 Kilograms of cryogenics needed for launch are loaded. Replenishing the propellants as they boil off, the tanks are kept at topping level until late in the countdown.

The majority of the countdown will be spent with extensive tests of the launch vehicle's flight control system, checks of all electronics and controllers and verifications of the radio link between the launcher and the ground.

Flight Termination System testing is also performed in the early stages of the countdown.

At X-60 Minutes, the Terminal Countdown Sequence will start. During the final hour of the countdown, last-minute items will be closed out and the vehicle will be reconfigured for the Automatic Countdown Sequence starting just 4.5 minutes prior to blastoff.

As computers are given control of the countdown, H-IIA's Propellant Tanks will be pressurized for flight. At X-3 minutes, the launch vehicle is switched to internal power while Himawari-8 will have been switched to battery power ahead of the final countdown sequence. One minute before liftoff, thousands of Kilograms of water are being poured over the launch platform to suppress the acoustic loads at ignition & liftoff.

*File Image* - Photo: JAXA

﻿Launch Vehicle Ordnances will be armed at X-30 Seconds and the Guidance System of the Vehicle is being switched to Flight Mode 12 Seconds later before the sparklers underneath the LE-7A main engine ignite to burn off residual Hydrogen.

Ignition Sequence Start is commanded at X-5.2 Seconds and the LE-7A Engine soars to life as the turbopumps spin up to flight speed being monitored by on-board computers to make sure the engine is healthy before the booster ignition command is issued at T-0 - committing the vehicle to launch.

As the boosters ignite, H-IIA will jump off its pad with a total thrust of 684,500-Kilogram-force. The twin boosters deliver 78% of the total liftoff thrust of the launcher that will make a short vertical ascent before executing its roll and pitch program to achieve the planned ascent trajectory - flying south-east for a trip across the Pacific, heading for an orbit inclined 22.4 degrees. ﻿

The two boosters fly in a special configuration with a shorter burn time, but higher thrust - optimized for a GTO mission profile. Each of the twin boosters will be delivering 281,200-Kilogram force of thrust over the course of a 98-second burn to accelerate the launcher to a speed of 1.5 Kilometers per second. As thrust on the boosters tails off when their solid propellant is depleted, sensors will detect a pressure-drop and trigger the separation of the boosters around ten seconds after burnout at an altitude of 53 Kilometers. Separation of the boosters is completed by pyrotechnics and separation struts that ensure a clean separation.

With the boosters gone, the Core Stage will be continuing powered ascent using the LE-7A alone, burning 260 Kilograms of cryogenics per second to generate 109,300 Kilogram-force of thrust.

When reaching an altitude of 142 Kilometers at a mission elapsed time of four minutes and five seconds, H-IIA will separate its protective payload fairing, exposing the payload on its way uphill. At that altitude, the vehicle has left the dense portion of the atmosphere and the satellite can no longer be harmed by aerodynamic friction and other forces.

The first stage will continue operation until T+6 minutes and 36 seconds, boosting the stack to a velocity of 5.3 Kilometers per second. Stage separation occurs eight seconds after cutoff at an altitude of 222 Kilometers as pyrotechnics cut the connection between stages and springs push the Core Stage away.

The LE-5B engine of the second stage will ignite six seconds after stage separation, at T+6:50 to deliver 13,970kgf of thrust for a burn of five minutes and 22 seconds to boost the stack into a Parking Orbit.

The first burn of the mission will accelerate the vehicle to 7.7km/s to reach a Low Earth Parking Orbit around 200 Kilometers in altitude to set up for a coast phase beginning at T+12:12 when the second stage shuts down for the first time. The second stage will enter a coast of 11 minutes and 38 seconds that positions the stage close to the equator in order to properly set up the appropriate positioning of the apogee of the targeted Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

*File Image* - Photo: JAXA

At T+23 minutes and 50 seconds, the second stage will re-ignite on a burn of three minutes and 17 seconds that will raise the apogee of the orbit to Geostationary Altitude. Himawari-8 is targeting an insertion orbit of 250 by 35,976 Kilometers at an inclination of 22.4 degrees. Second stage shutdown is expected at T+27:07 at an altitude of 250 Kilometers with the vehicle traveling at a speed of 10.2km/s.

Himawari-8 will be sent on its way at T+27 minutes and 57 seconds, beginning to execute a pre-programmed sequence of establishing a stable three-axis orientation, beginning communications with ground stations and deploying its single solar array. Over the first hours and days, the spacecraft completes a series of health checks to make sure it made it into orbit in good shape. A few days into the mission, Himawari-8 will begin raising its orbit to enter a Geostationary Orbit above the equator, stationed at 140 degrees east for a mission of 15 years, delivering precise meteorological data.

Mission Timeline & Ground Track Map

Image: JAXA/Spaceflight101

Time

Event

Altitude (km)

Vel. (km/s)

T-00.05

LE-7A Ignition

0

0.4

T-00:00

SRB-A3 Ignition & LIFTOFF

0

0.4

T+01:38

SRB-A3 Burnout

45

1.5

T+01:48

SRB-A3 Separation

53

1.5

T+04:05

Payload Fairing Separation

142

2.6

T+06:36

MECO - LE-7A Shutdown

218

5.3

T+06:44

Stage Separation

222

5.3

T+06:50

LE-5B Ignition

225

5.3

T+12:12

Second Stage - 1st Shutdown

271

7.7

T+23:50

LE-5B Re-Ignition

264

7.7

T+27:07

Second Stage - 2nd Shutdown

250

10.2

T+27:57

Himawari-8 Separation

263

10.2

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